The present invention is directed to an apparatus for discriminating information signals from noise signals within a communication signal. The present invention, in its preferred embodiment, is intended for use with circuitry for facilitating communications between an analog device and a digital device, such as a hands-free speaker phone controller associated with a telephone system.
A significant portion of telephone equipment manufacturing costs may be attributable to parts and equipment assembly. One approach to reducing costs is to provide a low-cost part which requires no external components. Incorporation of external components into an integrated circuit generally yields a device which is more stable in its operation, has good sensitivity, and is consistent in its performance.
Additional advantages are realized when the integrated circuit is a digital circuit. Principal among such additional advantages are even further improved stability and programmability of various operational parameters associated with the circuitry. Digital programmability provides a versatile circuitry which may be easily tailored to be applicable to a wide variety of operational environments using a single integrated design. As a result, the development costs and manufacturing costs associated with the circuitry are much reduced since they are able to be spread across a wider variety of products.
The present invention is an apparatus for use with a communications system for facilitating communications between an analog device and a digital device, such as hands-free controlled speaker phone circuitry, associated with a digital telephone system.
In its preferred embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention provides precise speech level and background noise level signal detection. Further, the present invention provides for precise speech burst detection, precise attack time and decay time for speech detection, and software programmability of a variety of operational parameters.